Display case



July 12, 1938. o. L. WHITEHEAD 2,123,680

DISPLAY CASE Filed March 1, 1957 INVENTOR. O L. W H\T.EHEAD BY WW1ATTORNEY.

Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Application March 1,

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to advertising devices, andparticularly to a display case.

The main object of this invention is to enable a canned goods salesmanto quickly and easily show his Wares to a merchant and at the same timeenable the merchant to see how they will v actually appear upon hisshelves when delivered.

The second object is to economize time and sales effort on the part ofthe salesman and thereby enable him to utilize in the most effectivemanner the limited amount of time which the merchant will give him forhis purpose.

The third object is to render unnecessary investment of large stocks ofsamples which must be carried in stock and transported from one store toanother by the sales organization.

The fourth object is to reduce the weight of the display case which thesalesman must carry and also to so construct the case and its contentsthat various combinations of canned sizes and the number of stacksdisplayed, as well as the labels on the imitation cans themselves, canbe easily varied at the discretion of the salesman.

I accomplish these and other objects in the 5 manner set forth in thefollowing specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective'view of a section of the sales case in ademonstrating position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the case in an open position with thecontents removed.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a representative 35 form of label.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an imitation can showing the manner ofapplying the label thereto.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form of thecan.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 1-| in Fig. 6.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a case'consisting ofa bottom II] which corresponds with the bottom of a shelf, a back I land end walls I2. To the back II is hinged a cover l3, preferablyprovided with catches l4 and a carrying handle I5.

dovetailed cleats l6 by means of the screws IT.

Against the back ll are secured a plurality of 1937, Serial No. 128,453(01. 40-126) preferably in the form of papier mach blocks I9 which aresemi-cylindrical in form and have provided on the straight side 20 adovetailed groove 2| which can freely receive a cleat 16.

In Fig. 4 is shown a representative form of label 22 whose edges 23 maybe folded against the sides 24 of the dovetailed groove 2| for thepurpose of holding the label 22 in place without gluing same to thecurved surface 25.

It can be seen from the foregoing that it is only necessary for thesalesman to determine the arrangement of the cans on the shelf and thesizes of the cans of merchandise he is offering for sale. He moves thecleats [6 to the proper positions and then places the various labels 22in position on the imitation cans l9 and then slides them downwardlyalong the cleats Hi. When he has placed as many of the cans on the shelfas he wishes, he closes the cover l3and is ready to show the merchanthow the goods will appear upon the shelf thereby securing a great savingin time and increasing the possibilities of making a sale by enablingthe merchant to visualize the goods for which the order is being sought.

Obviously, the manner of forming the imitation cans and supporting themin position, as well as the manner of attaching the labels to the can,may be varied without departing from the spirit of this invention.

In Figs. 6 and '7 the can 26 is made of tin, portions of the side 21being turned to form the flat wings 28 whose edges 29 are spaced fromeach other in a manner to form a vertical slot. The top 30 of the can 26is folded downwardly along the edge 3| so that the portion 32 issubstantially parallel with the wings 28 and spaced therefrom to makeroom for the upright cleat 33. The back 34 is provided with horizontalslots 35 adapted to receive the screws or bolts 36 which extend throughthe cleats 33 into the nuts 31.

It can be seen that in this form of the device, standard can shapes maybe employed requiring only a slight modification to make them usablewith my display case. This construction provides the additionaladvantage of showing the tin edges of the upper and lower ends of thecan after the label is afiixed' between the edges.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the label is affixedin the same manner as described for Fig. 5.

I claim:

1. A display case-consisting of a shelf having for variably positioningthe lateral spacing of said cleats which are vertically disposed.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an uprightsupported wall, a vertical dovetailed cleat movably mounted on said walland a plurality of semi-cylindrical members having dovetailed grooves onthe upright side thereof adapted to hold said semi-cylindrical memberswith their axes in a vertical position and in alinement with each other.

OTIS L. WHITEHEAD.

